1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to flat pill packs for convenient, controlled dispensing. Pills may be medicaments, candies, test pills, purifier pills or any other pill products that could be dispensed from a pill pack. These pills may take a conventional cylindrical shape or a capsule or any other shape.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
The following is representative of prior art relating to dispensing containers:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,724 to Charles Rosso shows a box of the hinged lid type which is constructed to be opened by pressing a portion of the lid which extends rearwardly beyond the hinge or fulcrum. The extension of the lid and an extension of the bottom wall of the box are connected by an envelope or body of resilient and flexible plastic material which holds the lid in position on the box and allows pressing of the lid extension to open the lid and also returns the lid to closed position when released.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,198 to Gunnar Nimrod Pettersen describes a plastic cap including a fastening portion for attachment to a bottle mouth and a cover. The cover is connected to the periphery thereof by flexible hinge means having a neutral position when the cover is open. Such portion has an outlet member remote from the hinge, and the cover a closing portion matching the outlet with frictional contact. A cover arm extends over the fastening portion from the closing portion to a point adjacent the hinge. By applying pressure to the arm when the cover is closed, the cover tilts about a fulcrum remote from the hinge releasing the frictional contact. Upon pressure release, the hinge swings the cover to open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,712 to Emilio Perrella illustrates a container for distributing solid loose products such as lozenges, sugar coated sweets and the like. According to the invention the container comprises a containing body and a closure lid, which is formed by an at least partially resilient plastics material. The upper base of the lid includes a delivery port, which is closed by a flap element formed as a single piece with the remaining part of said upper base. Said remaining part is elastically deformable between rest and delivery positions in which said flap element closes and opens said delivery port, respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,802 to Robert H. Laauwe shows a molded plastic pill box with a lid hinged by a living hinge at one side of its top so the box can be loaded by a pill manufacturer, the lid when swing closed, permanently locking against reopening. The lid has a pill dispensing opening and a child-resistant closure hinged by a living hinge to the other side of the box top and normally closing the dispensing opening. The box forms a package for the pills which can be sold by the pill manufacturer to a druggist, an adult purchaser being capable of opening the child-resistant closure for dispensing of the packaged pills. The entire box can be a one-piece molding for minimum cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,424 to Ruben C. Gaspar discloses a child resistant cap and container assemblage comprising a container and a cap member that is secured to the container so that it can not be removed without either breaking the cap member or damaging the seal that joins the cap member to the container. The cap member is provided with a nozzle having an internal locking means so that the contents of the container can not be accessed when the container is in its normal upright position. To access the contents in the container, the assemblage is tilted to disengage the locking means enabling the nozzle to be opened and permitting a user to access the contents of the container using only one hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,177 to Phillip J. Campbell illustrates a press-to-open dispensing closure with a flexible arcual top surface in convex orientation which includes a flexible, aperture cover having an arcuate hinging connection to the top surface. The hinging connection of the aperture cover articulates between a convexly arcuate closed condition and a concavely arcuate open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,291 to Larry C. Sledge shows a child-resistant, elderly friendly dispensing container comprising a housing having an opening in its top wall and a drawer which slidable fits in the housing. The drawer has a front cavity section and a rear latch section. The latch section includes a horizontally disposed resilient panel formed with an upward button which, when the drawer is closed, extends up through the opening in the top wall of the housing and forms an automatic latch, holding the drawer closed. In order to open the drawer, the button must be depressed and, at the same time, the drawer must be pulled out from the housing.
The top of the housing is formed, adjacent the opening for the button, with a relief zone into which the button moves when the drawer is in dispensing position and blocks further opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,086 to John Harris discloses a lid for a closed container incorporating an opening which can be closed by a door provided with side walls so that even when the door is open, the only access to the interior of the container is through a slot in a wall of the door unit. Needles or other sharps may be introduced through the opening into the container for safe storage. When the door is pushed down to close the opening, a two-part live hinge formed by grooves acts to bias the door into the closed position. Re-opening is achieved by pressing on the flange incorporating the grooves. A flap provides a secondary closure device.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.